Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 130

Plot and Character Motivation

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Sometimes I wonder why I outline at all.  I never seem to stick to them.

In the book that I’m currently writing (already covered, right, since it’s so tricky to reserve cover designers closer to release), I decided a few days ago to change the killer.  If I’d continued on the path I was going with my outline, I thought there would be a good percentage of people who would figure out the murderer before the end of the book.  The suspect that I decided to use instead would be a real surprise and would get me that twisty ending that I wanted.

The problem was…there was no motive at all for this person to have murdered the victim—that’s why the reader was going to be so surprised.

This was an easy enough problem for me to fix. I’d have the killer’s motive trickle in during the story—but not in an obvious way.  There would be clues to the motive…clues that I would have to hastily distract from as soon as I planted them.

But fixing this problem reminded me that believable plots really do all come down to motive.  Even in other genres.

If our characters act out of character to force a particular storyline, the plot is weaker.

We can enrich our stories by asking what drives each character—what they want most.  That’s what motivates them to do all sorts of things: keep secrets, avoid other characters, argue,  flirt, save money, spend money.  Character driven stories sometimes feel as if they write themselves.

So if we find we’re manipulating a character to serve the plot, that’s when we need to sit down and figure out how to make the character’s motive in line with where we want the plot to go. Or be open to considering a plot change.

Often, it’s not a tough edit to make.  I think it took only about thirty minutes to think up and then slip in the clues to the character’s motive and true nature to the plot. That’s not long to fix something that big.

How do you keep on track with character motivation?  Have you ever had to alter a book to make a story align with motive?

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Mystery Writing–Familial DNA

by D.J. Swykert, @djswykert

The Death of Anyone (Melange Books; February 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats) is a fictional story in which a Familial DNA search is a key investigative component. This is a unique DNA search technique not in common use, only two states even have a written policy. With forensic evidence increasingly important in solving current real-life cases and now being introduced into trials I thought it would make an interesting plot for a story.

I first heard about the use of Familial DNA working as a 911 operator in 2006. It came up in a conversation with officers working a case. I thought at the time it would make an interesting premise for a book. I began writing The Death of Anyone three years after leaving the department. I had just finished editing a first draft in the summer 2010 when news of The Grim Sleeper’s capture in Los Angeles using a Familial DNA search was released. I read with interest all the information pouring out of L.A. regarding the investigation and the constitutional admissibility issues confronting prosecutors.

The trial of alleged serial killer Lonnie David Franklin, known in the media as The Grim Sleeper, is scheduled to begin in 2015. Franklin will be the first person brought to trial on the basis of Familial DNA evidence in the U.S. Pretrial motions regarding Fourth Amendment civil rights violations have been ongoing for over four years.

The Grim Sleeper was caught because his son’s DNA was the closest match to DNA samples collected at the crime scenes in the database. Investigating Franklin’s son led them to investigate Lonnie David Franklin. But there was no direct DNA linking him to the crime scene until a matching DNA sample was obtained after his arrest. The admissibility issues are being thoroughly tested by defense attorneys.

Many legal analysts believe Familial DNA searches violate Fourth Amendment rights which guard against unreasonable searches and seizures. The courts may ultimately rule that searching among Familial DNA databases for partial matches would constitutionally be the same as the use of a generalized warrant to search someone’s house when there is no prior reason to suspect the person of wrongdoing, which citizens are constitutionally protected from.

Even Thomas Callaghan, the former head of the F.B.I.’s national DNA database, feared that Familial Searches might be legally vulnerable, since courts might view the searches as an attempt to use samples collected for one purpose for a very different purpose.

Just as we would consider it unreasonable to cast a wide net of suspicion without probable cause in general due to concerns of privacy, personal dignity, and unwanted intrusion in the lives of innocent citizens, we should be similarly concerned the identification of a suspect through partial DNA searches will contribute to further loss of freedoms as DNA databases grow and lead to ever more invasive investigative techniques. These are all constitutional issues that will come into play as the use of DNA science continues to progress towards solving criminal investigations and determining the guilt of suspects. Decisions will be made by the courts that will regulate just how invasive of civil rights law enforcement can proceed in the investigation of serious crimes.

I first heard about the use of Familial DNA working as a 911 operator in 2006. It came up in a conversation with officers working a case. I thought at the time it would make an interesting premise for a book. I began writing The Death of Anyone three years after leaving the department. I had just finished editing a first draft in the summer 2010 when news of The Grim Sleeper’s capture in Los Angeles was released. I read with interest all the information pouring out of L.A. regarding the investigation and the problems confronting prosecutors.

These are the same issues confronting Detroit Homicide Detective Bonnie Benham in The Death of Anyone. Bonnie has been transferred from narcotics for using more than arresting and is working the case of a killer of adolescent girls. CSI collects DNA evidence from the scene of the latest victim, which had not been detected on the other victims. But no suspect turns up in the FBI database. Due to the notoriety of the crimes a task force is put together with Bonnie as the lead detective, and she implores the D.A. to use an as yet unapproved type of a DNA Search in an effort to identify the killer. Homicide Detective Neil Jensen, with his own history of drug and alcohol problems, understands Bonnie’s frailty and the two detectives become inseparable as they track this serial killer.

DJ Swykert is a former 911 operator. His work has appeared in The Tampa Review, Detroit News, Monarch Review, Lunch Ticket, Zodiac Review, Barbaric Yawp and Bull.

His books include Children of the Enemy, Maggie Elizabeth Harrington, Alpha Wolves, The Death of Anyone and The Pool Boy’s Beatitude. You can find him at: www.magicmasterminds.com/djswykert. He is a wolf expert.

 

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Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Why joining a writing group may be the best thing you do:  http://ow.ly/AhPc4 @standoutbooks

Hugh Howey weighs in on the Hachette and Amazon contretemps:  http://ow.ly/AnFKb @HughHowey

The Crash: Braving Your Second Draft:  http://ow.ly/AkI2Q @KMWeiland

How to Write Faster and Get Organized with Scrivener:  http://ow.ly/AkG8e @writetodone               

5 Tips for a Do-it Yourself Retreat:  http://ow.ly/AkMbv @OrlyKonigLopez

Rumination Frustration:  http://ow.ly/AkGVP  @sarahrcallender

How Not to Seek a Literary Agent: The Perils of ‘Middleman’ Services:  http://ow.ly/AkGHc @victoriastrauss

Libraries Dominate eBook Subscription Market | LitReactor http://ow.ly/AkGo4 @litreactor

45 Ways To Sabotage Your Social Media Success:  http://ow.ly/AkMrP @mollygreene

4 Ways To Write Every Day:  http://ow.ly/AkMid @woodwardkaren

Star Trek Writer’s Defense of Diversity in Sci-Fi:  http://ow.ly/AkFZC @io9

The Invisible Writer:  http://ow.ly/AkH9S @PhilipBoyle3 @writing_ie

Back cover copy that bores and blares:  http://ow.ly/AkKpU @mbcollings

13 Great Facebook Pages for Writers:  http://ow.ly/AkIaO @DanaStaves

The art of fan fiction:  http://ow.ly/AkKNS @Chantegski

C.S. Lewis’s Ideal Daily Routine:  http://ow.ly/AkFV7 @brainpicker

5 Weak Words That Are Sabotaging Your Writing http://ow.ly/AkIQv  @missafayres

Titles that sing:  http://ow.ly/AkG3E @nownovel

Soul-Crushing Things About Writing in 2014:  http://ow.ly/AkHfR @philjourdan

The importance of good book cover design: http://ow.ly/AnFYY  @ThomasEMcGee

3 Reasons to use CommentLuv on a Blog:  http://ow.ly/AnFVP @trainingauthors

The Novelist as Ethnographer:  http://ow.ly/AnG86 @IdeologyofLove

Tips for handling multiple plot lines:  http://ow.ly/AnGDS

Establish the Nature of the Story’s Jeopardy: http://ow.ly/AnG1n @cockeyedcaravan

Has modern technology killed the spy thriller?  http://ow.ly/AnGeP @CharlesCumming

Building Suspense In Your Novel — #WDC14 Tips from Mystery Author Jane K. Cleland http://ow.ly/AnF5G @sarawhitford

Promote Yourself And Your Books On Social Media Without Feeling Like A Soul-Selling Slime-Glob:  http://ow.ly/AhRO5 @chuckwendig {lang}

The Staying Power of Some Books:  http://ow.ly/AhO6q  @rachelnseigel

The importance of keeping it professional on social media:  http://ow.ly/AnFFC @Porter_Anderson @writerunboxed

Why Should Anyone Help Your Protagonist? http://ow.ly/AhQTw @Janice_Hardy

David Foster Wallace on Writing, Self-Improvement, and How We Become Who We Are:  http://ow.ly/AhNX4 @brainpicker

What to do When Your Characters Rise Up Against You : http://ow.ly/AhOHo @drewchial

Ebook Pricing: Why 99 Cents Might Be a Mistake: http://ow.ly/AhPLr @GoblinWriter

How to Figure Out WHAT Your Character’s Arc Should Be:  http://ow.ly/Ahs39 @kmweiland

The Art of Writing Back Copy: Boiling Your Book to its Essence http://ow.ly/AhR2l

Why Some Self-Published Authors Care How Hachette Prices Its Books: http://ow.ly/AhOpH @passivevoiceblg

What Shouldn’t be Included in a Novel:  http://ow.ly/AhQLw @noveleditor

4 Effective Ways to Beat Writer’s Burnout:  http://ow.ly/AhOhb @Write_Tomorrow

12 Publishing Shakers to Follow: http://ow.ly/AhPjz @MickRooney7777

7 reasons to make a list of scenes:  http://ow.ly/AhPuT @writers_write

How to Market Your Fiction Writing Through the Brilliance of Other Authors:  http://ow.ly/AhPF7 @storyrally

10 Writing Tips from J.R.R. Tolkien:  http://ow.ly/AhPXp  @JennyHansenCA

Women writers–be more assertive about the value of your work: http://ow.ly/AgcLl @AndiLit

Using Role-Playing to Rein in Your WIP http://ow.ly/AgdrW @mythicscribes

How To Find The Right Editor For Your Book:  http://ow.ly/Agdgb  @jenblood for @thecreativepenn

Critiques of paragraphs submitted for editing:  http://ow.ly/AgcPY @GayleTowell

18 Essential Parts to a Successful Start-Up Indie Publisher’s Business Plan:  http://ow.ly/Agdmb @ninaamir

On the Other Side of Failure:  http://ow.ly/AgdvJ @JordanRosenfeld

17 Reasons to Write Something NOW http://ow.ly/Ag6lU @JoeBunting

Dangerous Tropes: The Deformed Villain:  http://ow.ly/Ag6pQ @enderawiggin

Pushing Past Political Correctness: Writing Solutions for the Socially Conscious:  http://ow.ly/Agd17 @btmargins

5 Reasons You Procrastinate Getting Your Book Done:  http://ow.ly/Ag6gi @KristenEckstein

The 7 Deadly Sins of Prologues:  http://ow.ly/AgcEr @kristenlambtx

12 Tips for Writing Blog Posts That Get Noticed:  http://ow.ly/AgdkI @JodieRennerEd

Redefining Success in Order to Stay Sane:  http://ow.ly/Agdph @CSLakin

Formatting a Mid-Scene Break:  http://ow.ly/AgcUM @Dear_Editor

An author’s struggles with story timelines: http://ow.ly/Agd5D @JeffCohenwriter

How to Tackle Character Consistency:  http://ow.ly/AgddD @MsBessieBell

Screenwriter Tips for Novelists: 3 Things that Keep Your Story on the Road (not the Goat Path):  http://ow.ly/Ag6uA  @HeatherJacksonW

4 Newsletter Basics for Authors:  http://ow.ly/Ac7zL @a_crezo

29 Reasons to Do a Writing Challenge:  http://ow.ly/Ac9mU @beccaquibbles

5 Things Every Screenwriter Should Know About Writing A Novel:  http://ow.ly/Ac6tT @Abdaddy

5 Essential Brain Hacks for Fiction:  http://ow.ly/Ac7HP @litreactor

From Inspiration to Publication:  http://ow.ly/Ac6X2 @TDMcKinnon2012

7 Tips On Sci Fi Arenas / World Building In Your Screenplay Or Novel:  http://ow.ly/Ac5JF @bang2write

5 Examples of Unauthentic Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/Ac8Kf @justinmclachlan

Writing Doesn’t Make You a Better Writer:  http://ow.ly/Ac5Rp @jamesscottbell

3 Top Tips for Writing for Social Media:  http://ow.ly/Ac7UL @writers_write

4 Rules of Using Fake Words:  http://ow.ly/Ac87j @mythcreants

When You Don’t Agree With Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/Ac9gq @amiekaufman

How to fix a plot hole:  http://ow.ly/Ac79U @Roz_Morris

DIY: Turn Your Manuscript Into A Physical Book:  http://ow.ly/Ac7pz @woodwardkaren

Pros and Cons of the Learn by Doing Method:  http://ow.ly/Ac5Y6 @mythcreants

Quick, Basic Tips for Writing a Riveting Short Story:  http://ow.ly/Ac5Ah @Jodie RennerEd

How to Build a Scene: Leave the Hero and/or Audience with a Growing Hope and/or Fear http://ow.ly/Ac7ft @cockeyedcaravan

Reader Pet Peeves:  http://ow.ly/A9ZLH @jodyhedlund

101 Writing Resources to Take You from Stuck to Unstoppable:  http://ow.ly/A9Z2S @cynthialindeman

What to Expect When You’re Expecting (a book…) http://ow.ly/Aa17s @kristaphillips

Tips for pitching work:  http://ow.ly/Aa1iV @KarenDuvall @RMFWriters

Back In 1909, They Were Already Trying To Define Science Fiction:  http://ow.ly/A9Ywh @io9

5 Key Tips for Reaching Out for a Review:  http://ow.ly/A9Zpb @nookBN

Royalty rates and earning out–an agent explains: http://ow.ly/A9Ysa @Janet_Reid

Writing by hand, or typing: when are you most creative? http://ow.ly/Aa1gJ @chrisrobley

Want More Conflict in Your Novel? Using D&D for Inspiration:  http://ow.ly/Aa19d @kristenlambtx

7 Black Women Science Fiction Writers to Know: http://ow.ly/A9YYL @forharriet

8 Writer Tips To Keep Your Butt in the Chair:  http://ow.ly/A9Yod @JordanDane

25 Word Lists for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Aa1cz @CKmacleodwriter

10 Library Fellowships for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Aa0y9  @A_WritersStudio

Invasion of privacy in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/Acp4q @mkinberg

Be Gone, Sanctimonious Defenders of the Supposed Literary Canon:  http://ow.ly/A9ZL0 @NewDorkReview

5 Reasons to Write Every Day:  http://ow.ly/A9YT7  @NikkiWoods

Self-Publishers Aren’t Killing The Industry, They’re Saving It: http://ow.ly/A9Ym1 @DavidGaughran

Sleep deprived sleuths in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/AcnPf @mkinberg

Wattpad: 14 Tips for Authors:  http://ow.ly/A8cvp  @outaprintwriter

How 1 writer got an agent’s attention:  http://ow.ly/A8ddS @SDWriters

POV–Find the perspective you’re naturally good at: http://ow.ly/A8cIf @TherinKnite

The Hidden Dangers in Short-Form Contracts:  http://ow.ly/A8cb8 @SusanSpann

With @EoinPurcell ‘s hiring at Amazon UK, we lose insightful commentary on publishing: http://ow.ly/AdhDl @Porter_Anderson

Why Book Review Blogs Should Embrace Self-Pubbed Books:  http://ow.ly/A8c56 @Wiseink

7 Signs You Have a Creative Brain:  http://ow.ly/Acl0L @PatrickRwrites

Should More Authors Take Advantage of Kindle Unlimited?  http://ow.ly/A8cSV @HelloTheFuture

5 Troubleshooting Tips for Problem Plots:  http://ow.ly/A8cZ3 @cathyyardley

Help for Slow Writers:  http://ow.ly/A8bVm  @jamigold

Ditch the Plot Map–Write What You DON’T Know:  http://ow.ly/AcAwU @selkiemoonbooks

Great Writers on Writing: Roger Hobbs:  http://ow.ly/AccqA  @rogerjhobbs @SeeleyJamesAuth

Self-Publish or Perish: Why 1 Writer Made the Leap:  http://ow.ly/A8bOM @eileengoudge @Janefriedman

Listen to Your Readers:  http://ow.ly/A8d0Y  @birgitte_rasine

Dealing With Submitter’s Block:  http://ow.ly/A8bL3 @HoarderComesCln

Dramatica describes 3 ways characters can interact:  http://ow.ly/A8bJ0 @glencstrathy

4 Lessons From Writing on an Emerging Mobile Platform:  http://ow.ly/A8c9i @kathrynstanley_

Tips for connecting with reviewers and better use of social media for promo:  http://ow.ly/A8d5w  @sarahalderson

10 Things You Don’t Need (To Be A Writer):  http://ow.ly/A8cP4  @DelilahSDawson

How to Find Your Character’s Breaking Point:  http://ow.ly/A8cEY @KMWeiland

Don’t Let Publishing Intimidate You: You Are Your Own Best Advocate: http://ow.ly/A9Zf4 @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog

Periodization for Writers:  http://ow.ly/A3FCX @sandrawickham

Metadata: Can better data management make good work stand out?  http://ow.ly/AaFPK @Porter_Anderson @TheFutureBook

5 Simple Words to Start a Conversation Today:  http://ow.ly/A3Ghu @M_Richmond21

A Character Must Feel Compelled to Let People Know About His or Her Unique Perspective:  http://ow.ly/A3FYT @cockeyedcaravan

Why We Should Bring a Business Card to a Writers Conference:  http://ow.ly/A3FvB @LynnetteLabelle

Why You Should Ignore Most of the Advice from your Critique Groups…but They Can Help You Anyway:  http://ow.ly/AacR4 @annerallen

3 Questions to Prepare Your Perfect Author Message: http://ow.ly/A3JOd @BrenMcClain

Control Your Online Image: http://ow.ly/A3JeD  @MaryL_MarissaC

Top 10 eBook Cover Design Sites:  http://ow.ly/Aa1w4 @gpstberg

Becoming a better writer: find a critique group:  http://ow.ly/A3Kdn @JordanMcCollum

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

More Thoughts on Wattpad

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I blogged in May that I was giving the publishing platform Wattpad a go.  I was somewhat worried about this decision at the time, wondering if my octogenarian protagonist and I would fit in among the youthful readers on the site.

From May to August, I went from several reads to steadily increasing reads.  Nothing I’d call spectacular.  But each day or couple of days I’d get a notification that I had someone else following (I think of them more as subscribers of) my story.  The number of reads (not readers, reads of each chapter) grew and with them grew more visibility.  That’s how it works at Wattpad.

Now, suddenly, I have over 18,000 reads.  I’ve done absolutely nothing to get these.  I’ve not been actively networking, not been joining groups.  I’ve been pretty darn introverted on the site except for my pleasant exchanges with readers who have commented on each chapter.

What helped tremendously was that I was recently placed on the Featured List on Wattpad.  Someone from Wattpad emailed me and asked to feature my book.  The only thing required on my end was that I keep the book up on Wattpad (once completed, since it’s being released on Wattpad serially) for six months.  Featured stories get 1-2 weeks on the front couple of pages before joining the rest of the works on the main list.

We could say that it’s because the content specialist knew I was a published author and that he felt safe featuring my selection.  But during our email exchange, it became clear to me that he had no knowledge of my other books or even of the fact that I’d finished writing the book I was posting to Wattpad.  He seemed not to know that the book had been published in its entirety for several years.  That’s a bit worrying, considering that I posted that information at the end of every uploaded chapter.  It’s the “call to action” that’s recommended for authors on Wattpad.

So this is what I’m thinking helps us get featured (like it helps us find readers, in general):

Cover quality

Quality of the writing/lack of typos

Consistency in terms of publishing (this is clearly specific to Wattpad and its serial release culture)

Decent formatting/understanding of the platform

Slow but steady increase in reads (site visibility)

Other discoveries:

There are older readers there, too.  Not tons, but some.

Younger readers were surprisingly willing to give the book a go and surprisingly gracious about its content.

I haven’t run into trolls there.  This doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but it hasn’t happened yet. It’s been very friendly there.

I haven’t run into the time suck that I worried I’d face with Wattpad.  Interactions have (mainly) been short and very pleasant.

Yes, being “featured” on Wattpad makes a huge difference.  My “reads” (again, these are “reads”, not “readers”—so each chapter garners reads from readers who’ve already read previous chapters.  If that makes sense…) went from the hundreds to the thousands.

How has this affected my sales?  I have absolutely no idea.  I know that sales in general took a summer dip in July, before picking up again.  I think this is increasing awareness of my books.  That’s what I believe my online presence, in general, does–give me a bit of visibility.  I think I’m gaining younger readers—something I think is important for series longevity.

When might a Wattpad experiment work well for you?

It’s probably not for everybody.  You’re putting something up for free. Wattpad is probably not as friendly to some genres (non-commercial fiction comes to mind).  I’ve had a writer on Google Plus to recently remind me that it’s a “content silo” profiting from writers.

All of that is true(ish).  For me, though, it’s worth it.  I already have at least one book at bargain basement prices for sale online.  Free isn’t a big deal to me.  And I don’t see any other opportunity to actively court young readers in an arena that large.  If they’re using me, I’m using them right back.

If you had several books out, wrote YA or other commercial genres, and didn’t mind having a book available for free…Wattpad could provide you with added exposure.  And if the book is already written, the serial thing won’t give you any deadline stress–you’d just submit a chapter from your old Word file each week.

So….curious.  Have y’all checked out Wattpad for your stories?  Visited there at all?  What are your thoughts on the platform?

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Write What You DON’T Know (Part One)

by Virginia King, @selkiemoonbooks

All new writers are advised to “write what you know” because sticking to your own experience is a recipe for authenticity, for not getting lost in unchartered territory. It goes hand in hand with character profiles and plot maps – nailing your story down so the writing is an exercise in fleshing out the bones. But are great stories pre-formed in the minds of their authors? And is this process fun?

Miles Davis told his musicians, “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.” He wanted them to lose themselves, to let the music take them beyond the notes on the score, carrying their audience with them. Sounds like the same place we want to take our readers.

The Journey of a Thousand Steps

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story,” Beatrix Potter said. “You never quite know where they’ll take you.”

This is how I began my debut novel, The First Lie. I’d written a lot of children’s books so I knew how to write. What I didn’t know was how to create something as complex as a mystery for adults. I also had no idea what the book would be about so I couldn’t plot it. I sat down at a blank screen until one sentence came.

All she had to do was jump.

Follow the Energy

Kate Grenville says about writing the prize-winning Lilian’s Story: “I started work each day by glancing through some ‘interesting things’ … I’d allow the bits to suggest something that might have happened to my bag-lady character … and write without a plan, following thoughts and images into the unknown … The criterion was energy. If I felt energised in writing a fragment or a scene, I’d keep going.”

Kate was writing what she didn’t know, but after my own first sentence I started retelling my personal story thinly disguised by the third-person. Three chapters in, I literally fell face forward onto the keyboard – with boredom. Months later I returned because that first sentence wouldn’t let me go. There was a story here. Could I write it if I didn’t know what it was?

Undiscovered Fossils

Stephen King believes that “stories are found things like fossils in the ground … part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. It’s the writer’s job to … get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.”

This is the opposite of fleshing out the bones of a plot map – because with a fossil you don’t know how the bones fit together and you can only uncover them bit by bit. It takes more courage than plotting and it’s more fun. The unfolding story gets an unpredictable edge as you deal with one surprise after another, making connections while you’re asleep and trying to decipher your jottings in the morning.

When I returned to the novel, my first act of courage was to flip to the first person. Suddenly I was travelling with a different view – now I was on the roller-coaster – and it wasn’t long before my hat blew off.

Crossing the Border

Milan Kundera says, “The characters in my novels are my own unrealised possibilities … Each one has crossed a border which I myself have circumvented. Beyond that border begins the secret the novel asks about.”

Unrealised possibilities. Crossed a border. Begins the secret. He’s not talking about a plot map, he’s talking about the unknown. There’s no path to follow, there’s a trail to be blazed.

I was now inside the head of my main character, Selkie Moon. Her name took me to mythical places. The selkies are the Celtic seal people who peel off their skins and dance in the moonlight on human legs. The myth has always spoken to me, but Selkie was a modern woman needing a story. Julia Cameron provided guidance. “I don’t create characters,” she says. “I meet them.” It’s another angle on the fossil. I started excavating.

Until Something Pops

In A Novel in a Year (don’t worry it took her ten years to become a published author) Louise Doughty suggests visiting the places in your novel to reconnect with your settings and invigorate a stalled story. It did the opposite for me – it plunged me back into the unknown.

My novel was set in Sydney, my home town. The writing had lost momentum so I set out to visit all the main locations – the house Selkie had shared with her ex, her lowly flat, her favourite Chinese noodle bar, the cemetery where something bizarre happened. It was a long day on the road because I now live two hours out of town and when I got home I burst into tears. None of these places spoke to me.

The next courageous step took a while. The Sydney novel was dead, so in desperation I dropped Selkie Moon into a whole new place. Hawaii. Now she was on the run, a stranger in town, with quirky friends to make and a new culture to discover. Her predicament required much creative research. A Sydney girl with a Celtic name and a Chinese food fetish turning up on a Pacific island steeped in its own mythology. With that much pressure something had to “pop”. It did. I discovered ho’ohihi – interconnectedness – and a complex psychological puzzle started falling into place.

Not Control, Judgement

If you ditch the plot map for the roller-coaster, you’re choosing curiosity over control. The story will need taming – along with your hair – but that’s when you use your judgement and an editor as brave as you are. (The structural edit is another adventure. Not for the faint-hearted but not to be missed.) The resulting story will be bigger, more unpredictable and more satisfying than anything you could have plotted.

In Part 2, Virginia will detail practical tips for writing a book without a plot map.  Watch out for this post  coming soon. 

Virginia King lives in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.  She’s a former award-winning publisher, the author of over fifty children’s books and the creator of several popular writing workshops.   The First Lie is a psychological mystery, the first of a series introducing reluctant sleuth, Selkie Moon. Several reviewers have praised it as “genre-bending” and she attributes this to “writing what I don’t know”.  The First Lie is available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/First-Lie-Selkie-Moon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00K1VC20Y/

Virginia blogs weekly about writing and publishing in La Bloguette – short newsy posts guaranteed:  www.selkiemoon.com  You can also follow her here: https://www.facebook.com/selkiemoonmysteries & https://twitter.com/selkiemoonbooks

Her editor is Nicola O’Shea www.ebookedit.com.au

The post Write What You DON’T Know (Part One) appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Direct Sale Venues For Authors:  http://ow.ly/zZKWz @mollygreene

Hidden Emotions: How To Tell Readers What Characters Don’t Want To Show:  http://ow.ly/zZLxB @angelaackerman

8 Story Fixes http://ow.ly/A1A7n @JaredMGordon               

Microsoft Word versus Apple Pages: —A comparative review:  http://ow.ly/A1B5P @ScottTheWriter

Use Index Cards to Plan Your Story:  http://ow.ly/A1BBp @sarawhitford

The Effectiveness of Free eBooks is Declining: http://ow.ly/A1A1N @galleycat @markcoker

Quick Tips: Scene Breaks:  http://ow.ly/A1BHS  @Savage_Woman

Writing Beware: http://ow.ly/A1Bg6 @MarlanaAntifit

3 Paths to High Concept:  http://ow.ly/A1AhP @JaredMGordon

When multiple POV stories work best: http://ow.ly/A1zCi from Clever Girl Helps

Google Docs Adds Track Changes for Editing: Here’s How to Use It:  http://ow.ly/A1AYs @CordeliaCallsIt

5 Free Apps that Help You Write Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/A1AJ4 @Wiseink

How to Create, Publish, and Market an Anthology (and why you’d want to):  http://ow.ly/A1Fq2 @JMNeyGrimm

How To Justify Spending Lots of Time Writing Before Publication:  http://ow.ly/A1En5 @jodyhedlund

Are your critiques as helpful as they could be?  http://ow.ly/A1CUH  @jenmalonewrites

5 Ways to Get Motivated to Write:  http://ow.ly/A1DwV @YAMuses @tbethhull

Worldbuilding: Don’t Neglect The Landscape:  http://ow.ly/A1CrT @G_R_Matthews

5 Essential Questions to Ask When Writing Your Protagonist:  http://ow.ly/A1DnI @bridgetmcnulty

15 Questions Authors Should Ask Characters:  http://ow.ly/A1BM5 @writers_write

Tips for Collecting People:  http://ow.ly/A1Fjh @LiesaMalik

How to be a Better Writer: Be Empathetic:  http://ow.ly/A1Dhp @ErinMFeldman

We know about beta readers. Why we may also need beta holders: http://ow.ly/A1CLi @michaelnmarcus

6 Reasons You Don’t Want a Free WordPress.com Blog:  http://ow.ly/A1CEq @ninaamir

Think Like a Publisher:  The Early Decisions | http://ow.ly/A1D8P @deanwesleysmith

Tips for Children’s Writing:  http://ow.ly/A1Cxi  @MaryVeeWriter

Script To Screen: “The Princess Bride”:  http://ow.ly/A3I6p @gointothestory

5 Research Steps Before Writing Your Book Proposal http://ow.ly/A3Irj @Janefriedman

5 Reasons To Cast Your Novel: http://ow.ly/A3GbJ @Figures

6 Things Writers Need to Know About Email Marketing:  http://ow.ly/A3G4G @JordynRedwood

The Benefits Of Crowdfunding For Authors :  http://ow.ly/A3Iay @thewritplatform

For Beginners: 5 Things to Know When Writing a Novel:  http://ow.ly/A3FS5 @WritersEdit

6 Things You Shouldn’t Expect From Your Agent:  http://ow.ly/A3Iya @carlywatters

Make a 1-3-5 List for a Faster, Instantly-Prioritized To-Do List:  http://ow.ly/zZKwW @lifehacker

Picking the right word (it’s okay to use a thesaurus/etymological dictionary): http://ow.ly/zZL6B @JulietteWade

Mark Coker’s Tips On Selling More Books:  http://ow.ly/zZLul @woodwardkaren

7 Ways to Tighten Your Prose: http://ow.ly/zZLnV  @DanKoboldt

Making Characters Face Their Demons:  http://ow.ly/zZKZc @mooderino

Issues with the First Person Perspective:  http://ow.ly/zZKBm  @shay_goodman

3 Fun Elements to Add to Your Mystery:  http://ow.ly/A6nkV @MasonCanyon @penguincozies

What if the perfect eBookstore  already exists?  http://ow.ly/A51RI @Porter_Anderson  @arthurattwell

Traits that make a devious but delectable anti-hero:  http://ow.ly/zZIQn @msheatherwebb

ISBNs: The single most important action item for self-publishers:  http://ow.ly/zZIHO @MissAdventuring

How to Find Time to Write and Parent Children Too:  http://ow.ly/zZJ2p @livewritethrive

Are You Showing or Telling Your Internalization? http://ow.ly/zZJLD @Janice_Hardy

5 Classic Authors Who Hated Their Book Covers:  http://ow.ly/zZKeD @litreactor

A Simple Way To Get More Shares On Social Media:  9 Tools To Help You: http://ow.ly/zZJSJ @writetodone

The Authors’ Wish List Goes In: How Will The Guild Council Respond? http://ow.ly/A51jf @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog

5 People You Need on Your Team When You Self-publish a Kids’ Book:  http://ow.ly/zZIuw @JFBookman

Things to Keep Out of Your Author Bio:  http://ow.ly/zZJGG @brrbach

A good story is the secret to writing a commercial hit:  http://ow.ly/zZJkP @sjaejones

Thoughts from the Intern Slush Pile: Is Your Voice Up to Snuff? http://ow.ly/zZJNb @ava_jae

The appeal of writing mysteries set in small towns:  http://ow.ly/A3AoZ @MariesCozy

90 Words for “looks”:  http://ow.ly/zX0y9 @gointothestory

What Should a Strong Authors’ Advocacy Group Be Doing? |Smart Set:  http://ow.ly/A3KYE @Janefriedman

A perfect e-bookstore? http://ow.ly/A3GnK @Porter_Anderson @TheFutureBook

A Metaphor for Publishing:  http://ow.ly/zWZ99 @deanwesleysmith

How to Pace Your Story:  http://ow.ly/zWZ7W @shalvatzis

Tips for Finding Your Writing Groove Again:  http://ow.ly/zWZtB @jawardwrites

115 Words for “walks”:  http://ow.ly/zWZbj @gointothestory

More about the “Strong Female Character”:  http://ow.ly/zWZMV  @AlmaAlexander

Great Character: Axel Foley (“Beverly Hills Cop”):  http://ow.ly/zWZIO @gointothestory

Crime Writing–Resources: RP and Writing http://ow.ly/zX0dl

Drawing Character Inspiration From Game Mechanics:  http://ow.ly/zWZzi @mythcreants

How to Split Up Series:  (The Prequel) http://ow.ly/zWZwt

Should You Hire an Editor Before Querying? Agents Weigh In: http://ow.ly/zX0jS @lisagailgreen

On horror and specialty presses:  http://ow.ly/zX0lX @washingtonpost

5 Ways to Build Stronger Characters:  http://ow.ly/zX0ik @mythicscribes

The Look of Your Amazon Book Page Matters:   http://ow.ly/zX0p6 @gpstberg

How To Tell A Scary Story: 8 Tips:  http://ow.ly/zWZHI @woodwardkaren

3 Tips for Writing While on a Family Vacation:  http://ow.ly/zWZFQ  @DanaLeipold

Hostage Negotiations: Information for Writers:  http://ow.ly/zWZ5e @MatthewSherley

Tools 1 Writer Uses for Writing, Publishing & Blogging: http://ow.ly/zWZCV @Belinda_Pollard

Turning Novels into Screenplays:  http://ow.ly/zX001 @storyfix

The Pomodoro Technique: Time Management for Writers:  http://ow.ly/zWZVB @womenonwriting

Literary Terminology:  http://ow.ly/zWZKI @Writers_Write

Top 10 Great Things about Writing Cozy Mysteries:  http://ow.ly/A0Qry @lorisbookblog @penguincozies

5 Things You Should Never Say to an Indie Author:  http://ow.ly/zU2Rf @SbethCaplin

How to Create Box Sets at Smashwords for Audience Building, Charity and Profit: http://ow.ly/zU4or @markcoker

A Book of Tweets By People Claiming They’re Working on Their Novels http://ow.ly/zU2UX @awalkerinLA @Gizmodo

The Keys to a Great Opening Scene:  http://ow.ly/zU3mC @mythcreants

Indie author wish-lists for the Authors Guild: http://ow.ly/zZFLX @Porter_Anderson @Roz_Morris @RicardoFayet

How Smooth Transitions Keep Your Story Moving:  http://ow.ly/zU3ij @angelaackerman

4-Point Commercial Book Checklist http://ow.ly/zU2Jw @VictoriaLamb1

How to Become a Better Writer in One, Simple Step:  http://ow.ly/zU4fC @joebunting

How To Sell Books And Products Direct To Customers:  http://ow.ly/zU2SA @thecreativepenn

What Dickens, Austen, Faulkner, and the Brontes Can Teach Us About Writing: http://ow.ly/zU31j @kmweiland

Writing Tips by J.K. Rowling:  http://ow.ly/zU2OU @Nicholas_Rossis

When to Cut That Scene:  http://ow.ly/zU3ov @mythcreants

Write What You Want to Read:  http://ow.ly/zU2Zc @ava_jae

The Art of Poetic Space:  http://ow.ly/zU3fZ @theprosecons

Why 1 Writer Made A Huge Mistake Marketing Her Books (And How to Avoid It):  http://ow.ly/zU3K9 @JuliPageMorgan

Beyond Spellcheck: 6 Errors that Kill Your Story:  http://ow.ly/zU4jK @bonniehearnhill

Don’t Look Back on Your Writing Journey With Regrets: —9 Things to Avoid: http://ow.ly/zU3Es @ediemelson

Do authors really want to get along? Why indie authors should consider joining US Authors Guild:  http://ow.ly/zUQxS @Porter_Anderson

Free Books: Marketing Genius or Devaluation of Writers?  http://ow.ly/zNZSI @LorraineDWilke

What could happen if we end up with smart eBooks:  http://ow.ly/zO2Se @gripemaster

Why Sales Numbers and Platform Aren’t as Important as Publishers Think:  http://ow.ly/zO1gd @JanetKGrant

The 4 Different Types of Conflict in Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/zO1u3 @kmweiland

The unreliable narrator:  http://ow.ly/zO1px @nownovel

Making the Leap from Historical Author to Mystery Author:  http://ow.ly/zWAmp @heatherdgilbert

Does Your Series Tell a Bigger Story?  http://ow.ly/zO43g @susanspann

How to Make the First Cut in a Writing Contest:  http://ow.ly/zO01O @TheReviewReview

6 Tips to Champion Your Story:  http://ow.ly/zUPSO @LyndaRYoung

How much detail and description to incorporate into a story?: http://ow.ly/zUPfQ @JacksBlackPen

The Persistent Stigma of Self-Publishing:  http://ow.ly/zO0nW @janice_hardy

A crime fiction writer’s tips for outlining a mystery:  http://ow.ly/zUORP @megwolfewrites

Why we should ignore the superlatives on book jackets:  http://ow.ly/zNYU1 @nathanfiler

Ramp up your writing speed:  http://ow.ly/zO1Ei @nicolapittam

Backstory: Who do you think you are? http://ow.ly/zUOkH @clarissadraper

Martin Scorsese Breaks Down the Difference Between Story & Plot: http://ow.ly/zO2JC @nofilmschool

Don’t Overstuff Your Verbs: Unpack:  http://ow.ly/zO46C @mooderino

Making Time to Write: 4 Tips From a Writing Superstar:  http://ow.ly/zO2rH @MiaJouBotha

8 Ways For Self-Published Authors to Rise Above Their Fear of Metadata:  http://ow.ly/zNZHd @ebooksandkids

Cockeyed Caravan: Storyteller’s’ Rulebook: Your Ending Shouldn’t Make Your “Point” http://ow.ly/zNZLB @cockeyedcaravan

Pacing: —adding intrigue to your writing:  http://ow.ly/zO3SE  @LisaMBasso

10 Tips to End Writer’s Block Procrastination | Psychology Today:  http://ow.ly/zO170

Dive Deeper: Slow & Steady Writing:  http://ow.ly/zLoim @JordanRosenfeld

On ‘Literary Bests’:  http://ow.ly/zLnY3 @ursulaleguin

How To Format A Manuscript To Publishing Industry Standards:  http://ow.ly/zLoo6 @jenmalonewrites

How Soon Do We Need to Show Genre in Our Novels? http://ow.ly/zLnkZ @Janice_Hardy

Hellman’s Rule of Beginnings:  http://ow.ly/zLneo @write_tomorrow

5 People Watching Tips:  http://ow.ly/zLntY @jemifraser @WriteAngleBlog

What Makes a Good Horror Story? Indie Games Have the Answer:  http://ow.ly/zLmNV @indiewire

How to Get Organized to Write Your Nonfiction Book Quickly:  http://ow.ly/zLlOZ @WriteNowCoach

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Three Fun Elements to Add to Your Mystery

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

One thing that I love about writing mysteries is that they’re so much fun to write.   In my guest post today for Mason Canyon at the Thoughts in Progress blog,  I explore three elements that I think are as fun for mystery readers as they are for mystery writers.  Hope you’ll pop over.

The post Three Fun Elements to Add to Your Mystery appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

10 Great Things about Writing Cozy Mysteries

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m frequently asked why I chose to write cozy/traditional mysteries.  I’ve always just answered that it was a genre that came naturally to me–I grew up reading these types of mysteries.  It’s the easiest genre for me to write.

But there are other reasons I chose the genre, too, and I explored these reasons further in a guest post for Lori’s Reading Corner today:   “Top 10 Great Things about Writing Cozy Mysteries.”

I would be remiss in not mentioning that I had a release yesterday.  :)  Penguin’s Southern Quilting mystery #4–Shear Trouble, launched August 5th. Living up to its name, it was sheer  trouble to write, but I was happy with the end result.

The post 10 Great Things about Writing Cozy Mysteries appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Making the Leap from Historical Author to Mystery Author

by Heather Day Gilbert, @heatherdgilbert 

Many people wonder why my second book is a contemporary Appalachian mystery (Miranda Warning), when my debut novel was a Viking historical (God’s Daughter). Although both books are starts to a series, (A Murder in the Mountains and Vikings of the New World Saga, respectively), I realize there is quite a disparity between the two genres.

When I decided to publish my mystery before the second Viking novel, it flew in the face of the advice of many successful indie authors. You’re supposed to pick a genre and stick with it long enough to build a following for that series. My Viking historical was doing well and I knew readers were anxious for book two in that series.

However, I knew it would take at least a year to write/produce my next historical, and my mystery was ready to go. It had been line edited and was still out on submission with three publishers. When my agent contract came up for renewal, I realized I didn’t want to sit around waiting anymore. It was time to leave my agent, become a full-time indie author, and get my mystery out. ­­­

When I launched my mystery, I quickly found mystery readers (especially contemporary mystery readers) tend to be a different crew than historical readers. But I also found that if readers like an author’s voice, they will often follow you across genres. At this point, I think my readers are pretty evenly split between those who love my historical best and those who love my mystery best. I’m thankful for this, because it means I can pursue both series without worrying too much about losing readers.

As far as writing techniques for the two genres, mystery-writing is a whole different animal than historical-writing. My historicals take hours of research. I check into Old Norse words and try to utilize the ones they had back then. I also try to weave the storyline in with the sagas’ storylines, making a kind of cohesive whole. All this sometimes makes for slower, stop-and-go writing.

My mysteries are different. Since they are contemporary and set in my home state, West Virginia, I don’t have to spend as much time on research. I can use a wider vocabulary than I do in my historicals.

I loosely plot my mysteries based on chapters, since my chapters tend to be short scenes. I like to know which chapters will require key players to be in dangerous situations, for example. Since my mysteries are like cozies, where small-town family/friends play a key role the drama, I intersperse family action with mystery action. I want readers to feel invested in the characters themselves, a la the Karon Mitford series.

For Miranda Warning, I actually wasn’t sure whodunit until partway through the book. As I got to know the characters more, I realized who was lying and who was deceived. I love it when my characters surprise me. I don’t know if this will be the case with all my mysteries, but it just worked out with this one. Yes, I do weave in clues for my readers, and yet I like my mysteries to be more psychological than clue-based…more like Rebecca by du Maurier, where you start to unlock the key to the mystery by understanding the characters’ motivations.

People often ask me if I prefer historical writing or mystery writing. The answer often depends on my mood. I’m passionate about the Viking era, and it’s one period of history I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading about. And yet my contemporary mysteries are just a joy to write. I love injecting humor into my books, and it’s trickier to do with a limited vocabulary in a land where people are often fighting for survival.

The next book in my writer queue is my second (and final) Viking historical, Forest Child. When that is out (hopefully in 2015), I will be free to focus on my mystery series, which will probably continue for many books. The second in that series will be titled Trial by Twelve, and I’m looking forward to writing it.

The wonderful thing about being an indie author is that I can take chances and get my books out to readers when the books are ready, regardless of genre. Whether I’m known as a historical author or a mystery author doesn’t matter one bit to me, and that’s why I haven’t struggled too hard to brand myself. My author name is my brand. Readers will find that my writer voice is the same, no matter what century I’m writing in.

Author Bio:

HEATHER DAY GILBERT enjoys writing stories about authentic, believable marriages. Seventeen years of marriage to her sweet Yankee husband have given her some perspective, as well as eleven years spent homeschooling. Heather regularly posts on Novel Rocket about self-publishing.

You can find Heather at her website, Heather Day Gilbert–Author, and at her Facebook Author Page, as well as Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Goodreads. Her Viking novel, God’s Daughter, is an Amazon bestseller. You can find it on Amazon and Audible.com. Her Appalachian mystery, Miranda Warning, released June 20th and you can find it here.

A randomly selected commenter will receive a free copy of Heather’s new release, Miranda Warning.

The post Making the Leap from Historical Author to Mystery Author appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Working with Unexpected Character Questions: Finding Your Character’s (or Narrator’s) Inner Story:  http://ow.ly/zDjVV @writeabook

A new, free phrase thesaurus for writers:  http://ow.ly/zOP6e @phrasehq

De-Stress Your Writing Life:  When Life Creates Factors Beyond Your Control:  http://ow.ly/zDjGd  @JessBaverstock

Writing and the Creative Life: The Magic of Ambient Noise: http://ow.ly/zDjcP @gointothestory               

Structuring the Novel: The Miracle Finish:  http://ow.ly/zDjTA @CalebPirtle

7 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Self-Publishing Company:  http://ow.ly/zDjSb @HelenSedwick

10 Reasons Running Makes You a Better Writer http://ow.ly/zDjeE @StacyEnnis

Are authors running out of book titles?  http://ow.ly/zDjXa @guardianbooks

Writing Rules: (Almost) Never Say Never:  http://ow.ly/zDjLE

How Can Authors and Publishers Partner Better on Book Marketing? [Smart Set]:  http://ow.ly/zO3xX @Janefriedman

5 Things Writers Should Ask Potential Agents:  http://ow.ly/zDk6r @writersdigest

How to Write About Death:  http://ow.ly/zDk58 @enderawiggin

The 10 Greatest Literary Parties:  http://ow.ly/zDk9F @Novelicious

Bestselling ghostwriter reveals the secret world of the author for hire: http://ow.ly/zGphj @guardianbooks

29 Words That Mean Something Totally Different When You’re A Writer:  http://ow.ly/zGq4C @BuzzFeed @wordsbydan

How Writing a Synopsis is Like Carving Soap:  http://ow.ly/zGpVw @hollyrob1

Publishers should take advantage of their backlists: http://ow.ly/zGpQc @MikeShatzkin

Pulling the Plug http://ow.ly/zGpoI  @theprosecons

Are You Building Your Writer Platform at Gunpoint?  http://ow.ly/zGpxG @WriterPlatform

Improve Your Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/zGpDX @jamesscottbell @thecreativepenn

Creating Dread in a Short Story Opening:  http://ow.ly/zGpNS @Janice_Hardy

9 Things 1 Writer Did To Become A Full-Time Writer:  http://ow.ly/zGpJO @write_practice

Self-Published Book Awards: Are They Right for You? http://ow.ly/zGq04  @MarcyKennedy

The Science of Storytelling:  http://ow.ly/zGpBM  @Writers_Write

6 Qualities That Make an Agent Say Yes:  http://ow.ly/zGpdz @JanetKGrant

Writer Mantra: Don’t Make Assumptions:  http://ow.ly/zGqdz @kcraftwriter

Useful Links for Writers: Author Voice:  http://ow.ly/zGqwM  @writing_ie

Imagining Beyond One’s Own Experience: http://ow.ly/zGqGu @THahnBurkett @writerunboxed

The Structure of a Short Story:  http://ow.ly/zGp8N @woodwardkaren

Know Your Audience:  http://ow.ly/zJhb1

Mining the Data: Genre and Gender:  http://ow.ly/zJgGJ  @nico1esinger

4 Tips for Writing a Short Story:  http://ow.ly/zJfFa  @Julie_Glover

Irony in Dialogue: Intentional Irony:  http://ow.ly/zJfHp @cockeyedcaravan

Turning Your Novel into a Screenplay:  http://ow.ly/zJfWd @storyfix

How to Run a Successful Book Signing:  http://ow.ly/zJgL0 @MHartnerAuthor

Quality writing is not subjective:  http://ow.ly/zJhjg  @damiengwalter

7 Steps To Get Endorsements for Your Book:  http://ow.ly/zJgUC  @trainingauthors

How to Use Alliteration and Assonance:  http://ow.ly/zJfSs @WritersEdit

The Philosophy of Writing and Reading:  http://ow.ly/zJg4R @Shaina_Jade

How to Give your Characters a Distinctive Attitude:  http://ow.ly/zJfZ0 @shalvatzis

Top 10 Character Flaws That Don’t Work For Me:  http://ow.ly/zJfNA @pyrosama

Costuming Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/zJhqv @mythcreants

Personality Typing Characters http://ow.ly/zJgbU @glencstrathy

4 Revision Tips:  http://ow.ly/zLmmb @MichelleA_Smith

6 Things to Consider When Writing Promotional Copy for Your Book by Karl Bunker for @JFBookman :  http://ow.ly/zLlQs

Noticing Filler:  http://ow.ly/zLnqf @Kid_Lit

YA market opens up a new world for authors:  http://ow.ly/zLnLv @latjasonsong

Michael Crichton’s Method for Plotting Out a Story:  http://ow.ly/zLnAK @angelaackerman

Each character needs swoons and wounds:  http://ow.ly/zLmIS

We’re losing all our Strong Female Characters to Trinity Syndrome:  http://ow.ly/zLo9I @TashaRobinson @thedissolve

Douglas Preston: On Amazon, Hachette, and Indie Authors:  http://ow.ly/zMLpF @Porter_Anderson @TheFutureBook

Being Kind to Our Creative Self:  http://ow.ly/zDjOZ @DouglasEby

Time Management for Writers:  http://ow.ly/zDjIZ @Jeannie_Moon

Identifying bloated writing:  http://ow.ly/zDjZl  @ACFlory

The Ironic Conclusion:  http://ow.ly/zDk1V @cockeyedcaravan

155 Words to Describe an Author’s Tone:  http://ow.ly/zDjHD @writers_write

Great Character: Jackie Brown:  http://ow.ly/zDjbo @gointothestory

A Closer Look at the Upcoming Writer’s Digest Conference In New York Aug. 1-3:  http://ow.ly/zML71 @Porter_Anderson

5 Myths About the New Era of Publishing:  http://ow.ly/zDjED @leftonbomb

Acknowledgments … Who’s in Your Village? http://ow.ly/zDjB2 @mybookshepherd

The 3 things every horror author must understand:  http://ow.ly/zC9pn @standoutbooks

Your characters need their potatoes:  http://ow.ly/zC870 @JaneLebak

Emergency Communications Information for Writers:  http://ow.ly/zC7jQ @FionaQuinnBooks @djswykert

Writer Without Residence: Keeping it Lit on the Road:  http://ow.ly/zC8zE @EAyC

Making Writing Happen:  http://ow.ly/zC9hX @AbstractChicken

Tips for formatting a chapter: http://ow.ly/zC7wJ

The Thing About Theme: http://ow.ly/zC89N @Frank_Zafiro

5 Short Masterpieces by the Women of Horror’s Golden Age: http://ow.ly/zC8IB @sfsignal

How to Efficiently Evoke the Setting of a Novel:  http://ow.ly/zC9sS @JoeBunting

3 Myths That Hold Your Best Writing Back:  http://ow.ly/zC7Gw @adderworld

Is there a role for storytelling in science?  http://ow.ly/zC8oR @JonathanLWai

Law and Fiction: Googling potential jurors:  http://ow.ly/zC9CO

The Hero’s Journey: Part One, the Hero & the Journey:  http://ow.ly/zC9QO @AlienNextDoor

Editing Crimes: A Case Study http://ow.ly/zC7CH @kcraftwriter

How To Write A ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Story:  http://ow.ly/zC98M @woodwardkaren

3 Reasons You Should Attend a Writers’ Conference:  http://ow.ly/zC87U @losapala

A Better Way to Open Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/zzQRA @storyfix

The 10 Biggest Mistakes New Authors Make: http://ow.ly/zzPVl  @brooke_warner

On Trolls and Fake Bad Reviews:  http://ow.ly/zzQMK @victoriastrauss

The Secret Of How to Make Your Book Un-Put-Down-able:  http://ow.ly/zzQwn @kmweiland

How Authors Can Use Listmania to Promote Their Book:  http://ow.ly/zzQAG @aBookPublicist

Screenwriting: Sketch Anatomy: Andy Cowan Explains the Origins of ‘Seinfeld’s ‘The Opposite’:  http://ow.ly/zzQaw @splitsider

The Art of Microfiction:  http://ow.ly/zzQJs @GayleTowell

How to Write a Book or Blog (The 6 Danger Stages You Need To Overcome):  http://ow.ly/zA3TG @aliventures

The 3 Most Common Medical Mistakes Writers Make:  http://ow.ly/zzQZc @dplylemd

7 ways to overcome fear and uncertainty about writing:  http://ow.ly/zzQDy @SarahAlexis4

Murders designed to look like accidents in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/zA7hN @mkinberg

Tips for Writing a Short Film Screenplay:  http://ow.ly/zzQs1 @tumbhi

What literary fiction means and why it matters:   http://ow.ly/zzQiE @KOMcLaughlin

Are Your Scenes Causing an Effect? http://ow.ly/zzQ5Z @janice_hardy

Brand Yourself for Indie Success:  http://ow.ly/zA6q8  @BookWorksNYC

Emotional Elements of Plot: Stories that Last Evoke Emotion:  http://ow.ly/zA6C6 @plotwhisperer

Got Plot? A Handy Quick-Check – The Rhubarb Writers Group:  http://ow.ly/zA6dq

Structuring a Novel Part 4: The Critical Decision:  http://ow.ly/zwhBq @CalebPirtle

Why your character’s religion, or lack of it, is important:  http://ow.ly/zwhxS

The Author Earnings Report Methodology:  http://ow.ly/zGtlF @HughHowey @AuthorEarnings

Where are the women in African non-fiction?  http://ow.ly/zwfgJ @MsAfropolitan

Edits, Editors, Editing: ”The Secret Weapon of Every Successful Writer:  http://ow.ly/zGqic @RuthHarrisBooks

Javier Marias’ 7 Reasons Not to Write Novels +1 Reason Why:  http://ow.ly/zwfeQ @pubperspectives

Building a Killer Email List:  http://ow.ly/zwf63  @nick_stephenson

Tips For Better Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/zwdP1 @Flashflood14

Why Your Story’s Ending Determines its Beginning through its Middle:  http://ow.ly/zwhwt @shalvatzis

How to make a living as a writer:  http://ow.ly/zwdR4   @standoutbooks

Setting: Context & Picture:  http://ow.ly/zFOzw  by Jack Smith.

Novel Pacing: 3 Crucial Elements:  http://ow.ly/zwg26 @lindasclare

5 Things to Know about Working with Beta Readers:  http://ow.ly/zwf7g @byondpapr

Tackling the Rewrite:  http://ow.ly/zwfZZ @EAyC

Finding the Right Critique Group for You | Word Cafe:   http://ow.ly/zwdIR

33 Things 1 Writer Learned About Writing at 33:  http://ow.ly/zwfsb  @LorenKleinman

Writing a Memoir: The Ultimate Selfie:  http://ow.ly/zwfpe @writers_write

Tips for Finding Your Writing Groove Again:  http://ow.ly/zwg7e @jawardwrites

The mistake of appealing to readers for support (in the Amazon-Hachette-indie author fracas):  http://ow.ly/zDC56 @Porter_Anderson

Common Writer Advice Revised:  http://ow.ly/ztlbf @HeatherJacksonW

15 Tips To Increase Your Productivity:  http://ow.ly/ztkSm @mollygreene

3 TED Talks That Uncover the Secrets of Storytelling:  http://ow.ly/ztktM @JulieNeumark

Free Indirect Style: what it is and how to use it: http://ow.ly/ztmGs @emma_darwin

When Defending Your Writing Becomes Defending Yourself : http://ow.ly/ztloT @salesses

8 Ways to Reignite Your Passion for Writing and Write:  http://ow.ly/ztlTU @WriterJoMalby

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